Never Gonna Be Alone
by freezingpizza14
Summary: It's a very important day for Annabeth, and she needs Percy to help her get through it. With a little help from Nico, he stays with her until the end, even though Percy is a ghost. *Percabeth*


***Author's Note- Well, this is my first fanfiction story on here, so comment if you like, and if you don't . . . then don't read! Anyways, I don't own the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series nor the Heroes of Olympus series, I just love them! So comment if you like and if you don't, then don't comment at all. Thanks!***

Never Gonna Be Alone

*Chapter 1*

_Step_.

You can do this.

_Step. _

Don't worry, girl. It'll be fine. Everything will be fine. Just breathe.

_Step. _

She got closer and closer, her worry increasing with every step she took. She couldn't help but remember _him_.

_Don't think about him. Not now. Just keep walking. One foot in front of the other._

But how could she not? She missed him constantly. She missed him, his dark hair and sea green eyes . . .

Her Seaweed Brain . . .

_Don't think about him! _The voice inside her head hissed. _Forget him. _

Another step. A deep breath. Another step. Her curly blond hair hiding her face as tears came.

How could she forget him, and the times they'd shared together. This, what she was about to do, felt so awful, so unfaithful. But she'd promised _him. _Promised that she wouldn't let _it _bring her down and torture her life. She'd promised . . .

Another step.

She couldn't let it bring her down. Today was _her _day. She wouldn't let herself be sad.

_Step_.

She would be alright soon. Nothing to worry about. What's done is done.

_Step_.

She just missed him so terribly . . .

Another step. One foot slowly moving in front of the other.

She just wished he could somehow be here . . .

Nico Di Angelo touched Annabeth's elbow, jerking her out of her weird trance.

Silently, he closed his eyes and chanted in Ancient Greek.

And then he was there.

Percy.

Annabeth sobbed.

"_I promised I'd be here for you," _he said. "_I'm here now. I know you can do this. You'll be alright. I promise, I'll be with you every step of the way. I won't be missing a thing that you need me there for," he said. "I'll be there. Your never gonna be alone."_

Percy looped his arm through Annabeth's. Though she couldn't feel him, she was so glad he was here her knees felt weak.

"_I won't let you fall," _he promised. "_I may be a ghost, but I'll never let you down. I know you can carry on. Your strong, and independent. That's why I love you."_

Annabeth nodded, tears coming down her face.

"_I just wanted to let you know . . . I'll be holding on as long as I can. I know I won't be able to see you anymore, but I'll still try to protect you from any danger in any way I know how."_

"I love you," Annabeth whispered.

"_Go on. He's waiting for you," _Percy said. "_Don't be sad. It's your big day. And your not being unfaithful. You'll always be mine . . . in my heart. I just can't be with you physically."_

"You'll always be mine, too," Annabeth said. "Will you stay with me? Until . . . until the end?"

"_I'll be with you every step of the way."_

Annabeth walked into the Big House with a newbound confidence, glad that Percy-even if he was dead-was still somehow by her side.

"_I wont be missing one more day. I'll always be with you," _Percy whispered. "_Especially today."_

She walked down the isle on the red carpet where Will from the Apollo cabin stood waiting with Chiron. Finally, she reached him.

"You look beautiful," Will said, and smiled, tucking a lock of her hair gently behind her ear.

"_You always look beautiful," _Percy murmured in her ear.

"No one can see you?" she stage-whispered to him.

"_No one but you and Nico," _he promised.

"I love you," she murmured. She felt a gust of wind, and knew he was trying to blow in her ear.

"Seaweed Brain," she muttered under her breath.

"What, darling?" Will asked. Annabeth looked up and smiled at him.

"Nothing."

"Are you alright? Do you . . . do you want to cancel this? I didn't think you'd be ready so soon after Percy . . . died. . ."

"No! Everything is fine. More than fine, actually," she replied. I have Percy on my side on my big day. He's somehow here. That's all I could ask for, she thought.

Will stared at her. "Alright."

It began. Annabeth was facing Chiron, and although she couldn't feel him, she knew Percy was there, silently staying with her.

"_I'm happy for you, Wise Girl," _he whispered. Annabeth felt tears come into her eyes at her old nickname, which she didn't let anyone call her anymore since Percy had been stabbed in the Achilles spot by that traitorous Roman. He'd been killed afterwards -the Roman- of course, but that day had been awful.

"Come on, Jackson! You think your so high and mighty and confident, why don't you tell me where your Achilles Heel is, if your not afraid!" a Roman boy named Adrian taunted, running up to him on the beach. Reyna, Jason, Piper, Leo, Annabeth, Thalia, Grover, Nico and Rachel all ran after him, screaming.

"Adrian, cut it out!" Reyna shouted, trying to break up the two boys, but what was done was done, and Adrian had insulted Percy for the last time. He got up from the sand and calmly pulled out Riptide.

"It's your death, then," Percy said.

"Percy! Your . . . your being a Seaweed Brain! Stop it!" Annabeth screamed, but Percy didn't listen. Annabeth tried to run to him, but Thalia, Nico Rachel and Grover held her back while Jason, Piper, Leo and Reyna tried to calm Adrian.

"Adrian, you don't really want to do this, do you?" Piper said sweetly, charmspeaking him.

Adrian hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "No. I'm tired of the stupid Greeks, I'm tired of you-" he pointed at Jason, "-being a traitor and helping the enemy, and I'm tired of Jackson. I'm going to kill him," he said, and lunged at Percy. Percy came foward and Riptide met Adrian's blade in mid air.

"No! Stop! Stop it!" Annabeth screamed.

"Cut it out, Adrian!" Jason yelled, while Leo was trying to find a weapon from his toolbag to bonk Adrian on the head with.

"I won't stop until he dies!" Adrian yelled. Their swords met in the air again. Percy was doing just fine. Adrian couldn't seem to land a blow on him.

Then everything seemed to go wrong.

Percy just dodged another of Adrian's attack when Adrian jabbed the sword at Percy. Percy spun at the last minute, but Adrian wasn't finished. As soon as Percy's back was turned, Adrian stabbed blindly at his back, and Percy screamed as the blade went in deep into his Achilles Heel.

Annabeth and the others screamed too, then. Annabeth sobbed and held Percy. "How c-could you?" she said to Adrian. Everyone crowded around Percy while Adrian just stood there and stared at them through narrowed eyes.

"Ambrosia and Nectar?" Leo suggested.

Annabeth shook her head. "It won't work."

"I'm going to get Chiron and Lupa," Reyna said.

"Why don't you all go?" Annabeth suggested to her group of friends. "And take him with you, before I kill him." She shot a very nasty look at Adrian, and so did everyone else.

Adrian shrugged. "People die here all the time. You get over it." He walked away, and if it hadn't been for a bleeding and slowly dying Percy in her arms she would have chased after him and stabbed _him _in the back.

"Go," she told her friends. "I'll stay here."

They seemed to realize that she wanted to be with Percy alone, all except Leo, who said, "Well, I'll stay here too."

Piper elbowed him and dragged him to his feet, and they ran off quickly to get the camp directors.

Annabeth cried and stroked Pecy's cheek. "It'll be alright, just you wait. We-we can take you to Olympus, to your father, and Apollo. Then you'll be as good as new," she said, sounding half crazy. Percy's eyelids fluttered and opened slightly.

"Hey, Wise Girl," he whispered.

"Your going to be okay," Annabeth sobbed, holding him tightly. "Your going to be alright, good as new."

"I think we both know that won't happen," he murmured, his eyelids drooping.

"Percy, wake up. Your not leaving me."

Slowly, his eyes opened again.

"I can see Beckendorf and Selena. The're waiting for me," Percy whispered.

"Oh no, don't. Don't do that. You are staying here, with me. Please," Annabeth begged.

"I can see them . . ."

"Oh_, Percy . . ._"

Percy's eyes closed, then opened again slightly. "Annabeth?" he said weakly.

"Y-yes, Seaweed Brain?"

"I love you, my Wise Girl."

"I love you too, Seaweed Brain. Always."

"I don't feel pain anymore," Percy whispered. "I feel . . . light."

Annabeth nodded. "If anyone deserves Elysium, it's you."

"I feel so light . . . and so tired."

"Then sleep, Percy," Annabeth whispered. "You'll wake up again soon, where Beckendorf and Selena will be waiting for you."

"Stay safe for me," Percy said. "Keep going on. Promise me you won't let this interfere with your life, and ruin it. You'll get over me and marry someone and have kids and be an amazing architect."

"I-I promise. But I'll never get over you. I'll always love you."

"I'll always love you too," Percy said. "I'll be waiting for you, when your time comes. If, by any chance, you still love me, then we can be happy and together again."

"I'll love you no matter what. I'll be counting the days."

"Tired . . ." Percy murmured.

"Shhh. Sleep. Have good dreams. Tell Beckendorf and Selena I said hi, and that I miss them."

"I will. I love you, Wise Girl," Percy said.

Annabeth tightened her grip on him. "I love you too, my Seaweed Brain."

Percy closed his eyes, and his breathing slowly came to a stop. His grip on her loosened, and his arms fell to his sides.

Annabeth was holding her boyfriend, an empty body, but a true hero, knowing his soul was already on it's way to Elysium.

Annabeth finally focused on Chiron in front of her.

"Do you take this man to be your husband?"

Annabeth looked at Percy's ghost. He nodded and smiled. Annabeth turned back to Chiron, and caught Will's eye. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand.

Annabeth took a deep breath. "I do," she said.

*Chapter 2*

After the wedding, everyone went to the beach for the reception party. Annabeth and Will, as tradition, cut the cake together.

Through all this, Percy stood by her side, silent but smiling. Occasionally Annabeth would look at him and smile.

Off to the side, Nico stood looking uncomfortable. He was muttering in Ancient Greek so that Percy could be away from a dug up place with food in it and not turn into mist whenever Annabeth was too close to him. It was taking energy out of Nico, though-he was sweating and turning paler than he already was.

"Nico? Are you alright?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, fine. Why?" Nico said.

"Because your pale and sweating."

Nico wiped his face. "Well, it's just . . . I'm giving Annabeth her wedding gift."

"Huh? I'm confused." Piper's eyebrows scrunched together.

"Well . . . I let Percy-his ghost, I mean-come back, and I have to use alot of energy so that he won't turn into mist when he's around living bodies," Nico explained.

Piper stared at Annabeth. Piper noticed that she kept glancing at a certain spot and smiling, so she knew Percy must be there.

"But how come we can't see him?"

"Because he only allows himself to be seen by those he wants for them to see him. Well, that and the fact that he's only mist."

"Well, why doesn't he want to be seen?"

Nico shrugged. Annabeth glanced beside her and frowned. She looked at Nico worriedly.

Nico stared back at her in confusion for a moment, then realization came in. Since he'd been talking to Piper, he hadn't been chanting, and Percy had dissapeared. He started back the chant, and Percy reappeared beside Annabeth again.

"Nico? Oh, right. You can't stop the chant," Piper said. She quickly went off to find Jason, her boyfriend.

A slow dance started. Annabeth and Will started twirling on the dance floor while Percy stood off to the side, watching them.

He didn't look jealous at all, Nico thought. He looked . . . happy. He was happy for Annabeth, glad he could be here for her.

Nico looked down guiltily. If he were still alive, it would be Annabeth and Percy's wedding today, not Annabeth's and Will's, he thought. Then he took a deep breath, channeling his power to it's maximum strength, and chanted quicker, sweat pouring from his face. Percy's misty appearance turned solid. Annabeth stopped and looked at him in suprise, and then everyone gasped. By giving Percy a momentarily solid form, his appearance became visible to everyone, too.

"P-Percy?" Rachel, the oracle, gasped.

Will seemed to know what was happening. He glanced at Nico, who met his eyes while still chanting, and nodded. He stepped back from Annabeth and gestured politely for Percy to take her. Percy smiled shyly.

"Thanks, Will," he said, taking Annabeth in his arms. _Oh, she's in my arms again!_ Percy thought happily. _How I've missed her so much!_

Annabeth stared at him.

"Oh my gods, I-I can touch you," she breathed.

"Momentarily," Percy said. "Pretty soon Nico won't be able to keep it up anymore, and i'll have to leave for good."

"Will you dance with me, just once then?" Annabeth whispered.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Percy whispered back. Annabeth hesitantly put her hand on his chest, and gasped when her hand met his skin instead of passing through it. All around her, people gasped, too. Everyone was silent -except Nico- while watching them. 'Never Gonna Be Alone' by Nickelback started playing. Percy and Annabeth spun around dancing and twirling, and Annabeth couldn't help but notice how perfect this song was for her and Percy, considering the situation they were in. Eventually people got a little bit over their shock and joined them. Annabeth and Percy didn't pay any attention, though. They werent paying attention to anyone but each other.

Unfortunately, the song finally ended.

"Guess you have to go," Annabeth mumbled.

"I guess so."

Annabeth looked down.

"Hey-look at me." Percy put a finger under her chin and lifted her face back up. "Don't do that. I wouldn't have come if I'd known you would be sad over it."

"Don't you say that!" Annabeth said. She put her hands on his face gently. "Don't. I'm glad you did come. So glad. I can't tell you how much it means to me that I get to see you again, that I get to hold you again."

"Yeah, cause the last time I was dying," Percy whispered. "And is already dead, Annabeth. I'm glad I came today, too. But I can't stay. Not forever."

"Wish you could," Annabeth mumbled.

"I know. I-I can't tell you how much I wish I were still here. How I wish-" Percy stopped.

Annabeth held him tighter. "What?"

"How much I wish . . . that I was in Will's place," he whispered.

Annabeth'e eyes filled with tears. "Do you think that, if you were still alive, that maybe . . . today would be _our _wedding?"

"I have no doubt in my mind it would have," Percy said. "_Could _have, if I hadn't been so stupid."

"Oh, you couldn't help it. You'd been around the Romans too long. It brought out the fighting nature in you," Annabeth said. "Being with them made you quicker to stand up to your enemies."

"Or it just made me more of a Seaweed Brain," Percy said, smiling.

Annabeth laughed and rubbed her thumb along his cheek. "Yeah, that too."

Percy's form flickered. Annabeth glanced at Nico, and saw how pale he was.

"Nico's using too much of his energy on me," Percy said. "I really have to go. Besides, it's very bad for a ghost to linger too long on earth."

"Alright," Annabeth whispered. She put her forehead against Percy's. He kissed her quickly. Holding hands, there bodies close and their heads touching, Annabeth nodded to Nico. Nico nodded back and sadly smiled his goodbye.

Rachel, Thalia, Grover, Juniper, Will, Clarisse, Chiron and others stood in a group, watching, saddened that they had to watch Percy leave Annabeth, _again_.

Annabeth squeezed her eyes shut.

"Bye," she said, a few tears rolling down her cheeks.

"No crying," Percy mumbled, wiping the tears away. "I'll miss you."

"Miss you too," Annabeth said.

"I love you, Wise Girl."

"I love you too, my Seaweed Brain."

Percy squeezed her hands, and slowly, Nico stopped chanting. At first, Percy turned into mist. Then, since he was near human skin, dissolved, and was finally gone. Annabeth was holding empty air.

No one moved an inch. It was so silent you could hear a drachma drop. Everyone was staring silently at Annabeth, a few crying, a few too stunned to cry.

Annabeth took a few deep breaths and lifted her head, putting on what she hoped was a convincing smile.

"Hey, this a wedding. He wouldn't want us to be moping. Cheer up. Theres still plenty of cake left."

*Chapter 3*

Eventually, the shock over Percy's reappearance wore off, but not entirely. People danced half-heartedly on the dance floor, while some ate more cake and tempted to make conversation to each other. Even though Annabeth said to cheer up, it was clear that no one could feel happy that Annabeth's boyfriend was dead and she was married to someone else. Everyone knew that no matter who she was with, Annabeth would always belong to the one person she couldn't ever have again.

"_You're_ not upset, are you?" Annabeth asked Will as they were dancing.

"Well, I'm not upset, but you . . ."

Annabeth sighed. "Really, Will. I'm alright. _Really_."

"Are you sure?" Will asked. "Because, Annabeth . . . you have to know that I would never try to replace Percy. I know you loved -love- him, and I know I can't ever compare, since you two'd known each other so long."

"Will." Annabeth cupped her hand on his cheek. "I promise, you don't have to feel like that, like your the second choice only because the first . . . died."

"But thats exactly how it is, Annabeth," Will argued. "But . . . that's alright, because I promise Percy won't have died in vain. I'll do everything I can to protect you."

Annabeth sighed and layed her head against his chest. "I love you."

Will wrapped his arms around her. "I know. I love you too." He thought for a moment. "And things will get better, you know. Love may or may not fade, but we still never forget our first love. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't dwell on the past. Remember Percy, never forget him, but don't be sad over him anymore."

Annabeth hesitated a moment. "You're right. I shouldn't. Of course i'll miss him. But, like Luke, I won't let it drag me down, like I'd promised Percy it wouldn't. I'm not as grieving over it because I know he and Selena and Beckendorf and all of our friends that died are happy in Elysium."

Will nodded. "Yeah. Michael could be annoying sometimes, but he was awsome whenever he aggrivated Clarisse."

Annabeth laughed. "Yeah, Michael was great."

"Well, we still have plenty of adventures in the future to do and plenty of new people to meet," Will said.

"Yeah, we do. And I don't know what's going to come in the future," Annabeth said, "but I have a feeling it's going to be good."


End file.
